Ghost Hunt Anime Review

Ghost Hunt
Gosuto Hanto
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
600 mins. - 25 episodes
$29.98 (2010) S.A.V.E.
$59.98 (2009)
$49.98 (2008) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400079122
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Rei Mano
Studio - J.C. Staff

Synopsis: Mai Taniyama is an ordinary high school girl who likes to tell ghost stories with her friends.  She meets a mysterious young man who turns out to have been hired to investigate a supposed haunting in an abandoned school building.   Then Mai accidentally breaks one of his video cameras and even gets his assistant injured.  Feeling guilty she ends up taking the assistant's place during the investigation and witnesses some unexplained phenomena.  The young man is Kazuya Shibuya who runs Shibuya Paranormal Research (SPR), but Mai decides to call him 'Naru' because of his lofty, narcissistic attitude.

From left: Masako, Ayako, Yasuhara, Naru (Kazuya), Hosho, Mai, and John

The apparent haunting gets more severe and more investigators are called in.  They include:

• Hosho Takigawa is a former Buddhist monk who is adept at exorcising spirits (using Buddhist mantras) and is very brave.  He appears to be very laid back and even wears stylish clothes.  Mai is put off by his appearance at first, but soon discovers he is a capable expert and very brave.
• Ayako Matsuzaki is a Shinto shrine maiden who is brash and outspoken.  She doesn't look or act the part of a holy maiden by any means.  She also has the ability to release spirits (using Shinto kuji like the 'nine cuts') although her reputation is not very good.  Mai surmises that she talks a good game, but doesn't have the spiritual power to back it up.
• John Brown is a Catholic priest hailing from Australia.  He is very soft spoken and kind.  When performing an exorcism he uses holy water and reads passages from the Holy Bible.
• Masako Hara is a famous television star who has the ability to sense and even channel spirits (a medium).  She apparently has a crush on Naru, but its unknown whether he returns her feelings.  Mai is instantly jealous of her.
• Lin Koujo is Naru's assistant and keeps to himself.  He is highly capable and even has some spiritual abilities.  Mai is convinced he hates her.  

I really hope, for Mai's sake, that's just a dream

Naru ends up hiring Mai to work with SPR to pay off the rest of the camera she busted.  The group investigates a wide variety of 'hauntings' with varying degrees of authenticity and danger.  Each member contributes in some unique and valuable way.  Mai feels a bit out of place among these seasoned hunters, especially Naru and Lin who are both very forthright in their dealings with others.  Over the course of the investigations Mai becomes a believer and she even begins to show some skill at solving cases.  When the group find a real haunting or possession is when the true danger begins.

The team have fun investigating a possible haunting in the park

Subsequent cases SPR takes on include:

• They visit a home where it's believed a poltergeist is at work.  The family includes a young girl who has a creepy doll.  Can the group uncover the tragic history of the house and the mystery of the doll before another accident happens?  
• The team is then called in to a school where many strange accidents have been happening to students.  It appears a desk is cursed, but also other places in the school.  A girl who exhibits psychokinetic abilities (spoon bending) has been blamed, but Mai is convinced she's innocent.  Is the girl lashing out at her enemies after they publicly ridiculed her?
• Something is purposefully interuppting young lovers at a local park.  Whenever someone tries to kiss they get splashed with cold water.  Is it the work of a jilted spirit?
• John brings the team to the aid of a local parrish where possessions have been happening more frequently.  A boy disappeared many years ago and it appears his spirit is becoming agitated.  Can the SPR team solve the mystery before another child goes missing?
• The team is called to another haunted high school where the principal and headmaster are both gruff unbelievers.  They meet a helpful young man named Osamu Yasuhara who explains the curses started happening after a first-year student named Sakauchi took his own life.  Add the fact the entire student body has been playing a strange game similar to a Ouija board and the school has become a hotbed of spiritual activity.  Mai has a horrible dream which spells disaster for the group.  Can Naru solve the case before anyone else gets hurt?
• Several groups of paranormal researchers are called in to solve the disappearance of a pair of young men in an old mansion owned by the former prime minister.  Not all of the investigators are what they appear to be and not all of them make it out alive.  The house has a macabre history and Mai seems particularly sensitive.  When a seance is held all hell breaks loose!  Can the group escape the horror hidden beneath the house?
• A family hires SPR to help them avert a curse which happens any time the head of the family changes.  The team faces their toughest challenge yet as they encounter possessions, malevolent spirits, and even Naru is caught unawares.  The death toll rises and Mai's dreams become increasingly dire as time runs out.  During the last change a team of ghost hunters were lost and SPR could suffer the same fate!

Keep your eyes on this creepy doll...or else!

Pros: Good cast of characters (with actual character development), nice blend of creepy horror sprinkled with a little lighthearted comedy, opening/ending sequences/music were decent and reminded me of those late night psychic/spiritual infomercials, I liked the multiple episode story arc format which allowed suspense to build up until the last episode of each case, a few genuinely scary moments, not many horror anime out there that do a good job

The SPR crew encounter this dangerous hell hound!

Cons: Some of the solutions to the cases can be far-fetched (like the first case, the one with the boy who disappeared, and the last case), the ending of the final case was too convenient for all of the story buildup, some goofy moments, not all questions are answered

What has Mai gotten herself into?

Mike Tells It Straight: I almost quit this series after the first three episodes, but am very glad to have stuck with it to the end.  The story was originally a light novel series, then a manga, then adapted into this anime series, and currently an ongoing manga again.  There are not many decent horror anime out there and I can say Ghost Hunt is one of them.  One of the best aspects of the show are the interactions of the SPR characters.  Mai is the main protagonist/narrator and she gives a good perspective on the other characters.  The characters grow over the course of the series (especially Mai's latent psychic abilities).

Performing a seance in the bowels of a haunted mansion

The series is split into multi-episode story arcs which I found to be very appropriate.  Each case takes a few episodes to solve and it allows a nice buildup of suspense before the finales.  I liked the characters which definitely grew on me over the course of the series.  There's some nice character development.  Some of the later stories were particularly scary (the Bloodstained Labyrinth and the Cursed House) and I enjoyed watching the series alone at night!  It's few and far between to find decent horror anime and Ghost Hunt does a good job.

Mai comes face to face with an unspeakable horror - is it just a dream?

Some things which bothered me about the series were the convenient ending to the final story arc.  We get a great buildup to the final episode and then it just ended with a convenient reveal of some hidden power.  Not how I would have liked it to end.  Everything up to that point was pretty good, but the ending was a letdown.  A few of the situations in the series were kinda lame and very far-fetched (even for an anime).  Okay, so it's way harder and more uncommon to have ghosts/poltergeists show up than what happened in the series (I've watched a few episodes of Ghost Hunters on SyFy network).

Some spirits can actually do harm to the living

Despite its flaws I still enjoyed the series and would recommend it if you are looking for a creepy anime to watch alone at night.  It's a good combination of humor (Mai's pining for the stoic Naru and her rivalry with Masako) and suspense while the group is confronted with difficult psychic phenomena.  The character interactions make the series along with a few scary moments.  It can be a little slow-paced at times, but I was surprised at how much I actually liked the series.  

The team visits Naru in the hospital after a particularly nasty case

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Papuwa Anime Review

Papuwa
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 6 discs
650 mins. - 26 episodes
$59.98 (2008)
$29.98 (2006-07) Vol. 2-6 ea.
$29.95 (2006) Vol. 1
ISBN 702727152726
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Kenichi Nishida
Studio - Nippon Animation

Synopsis: A long time ago two mystical stones, one red and one blue, were in the possession of two clans.  The two clans battled and eventually the young boy who possessed the intense power of the blue stone fell into a deep sleep.  The one who possessed the power of the red stone went far away.  All of this happened on the first Papuwa Island...

Kotaro arrives on Papuwa Island and is chased by a crazy pink dinosaur

Years later the young boy awakened and escaped back to Papuwa Island, but lost his memory.  This boy was Kotaro of the Blue Clan.  When he arrived on the island he was shocked to find strange talking creatures along with the pint-sized Papuwa and his man-maid, Liquid.  Liquid used to work for the Ganma Army of which Kotaro's father, Magic, is the chairman.  Fearing Kotaro will lose control of his vast power if he remembers his name, Liquid tricks Kotaro into thinking his name is Rotaro.  Now Liquid cares for Rotaro, Papuwa (who is tiny yet immensely strong and has other powers), and their pet friend, Chappy, on the second Papuwa Island.

Rotaro (really Kotaro) comes to live with Chappy and Papuwa

The island itself is a mystery and one must travel through a bizarre vortex in the ocean to arrive on it.  Once on the island it is nigh impossible to leave unless you can find the exact path which you traveled to get there.  Let's just say most people are trapped on the island.  The island's inhabitants are anthropomorphic creatures of all varieties.  These include (but are not limited to):

• Tanno the transvestite fish who wears fishnet stockings over his hairy human legs
• Ito the hermaphroditic snail who wears a pink bow and always has its tongue hanging out
• Oshodani the drumming sea otter who is constantly using drumsticks to drum on things
• Komoro is a 'magic' mushroom and constantly tricking others into thinking he is an edible mushroom.  His body is hallucinogenic when ingested or inhaled
• Hayashi is a pink tyrannosaurus rex who is obsessed with good looking men 

Tanno and Ito are the biggest queens on the island!

Magic is concerned for Kotaro's welfare and sends several groups from the Ganma Army.  These include:

• Special Battle Unit
• Harlem is the leader and Magic's brother.  He underpays his crew and steals their money to fuel a massive gambling addiction.  He possesses great fighting power.  Liquid used to work for the Harlem and remembers the time as pure torture.
• Rod is Italian and never wears a shirt.  He tells bad jokes and is crude.  His skill is wind.
• Marker is Chinese and a skilled warrior.  He is calm and looks down on his fellow team members.  His skill is fire.
• G is German and doesn't talk very much.
• Ganma Army
• Tottori is a ninja although not a very good one.  He uses an unorthodox style which consists of kicking off a sandal.
• Miyagi looks and sounds like a dumb surfer dude.  He uses the Brush of Literalization which can turn whatever he has written on into that word.  
• Koji is a complete dumbass and Umako's older brother.
• Arashiyama uses fire and studied under Marker.  He is terribly awkward and Marker instilled in him an off-putting vanity.  His power is activated when he suffers extreme emotions (like anxiety during social interactions).
• Shinsengumi are mercenary swordsman
• Isami Kondo leads the group, but is horribly inept.  He apparently likes good-looking young men.
• Toshizo Hijikata is the most capable swordsman among the Shinsengumi and a great warrior.  The absurdity of Papuwa Island annoys him greatly, but he grudgingly befriends Liquid.
• Soji Okita is a good-looking young man who Kondo is fixated on.  He fends off Kondo's attention by repeatedly stabbing him with his sword.
• Umako Harada is a burly woman with a five o'clock shadow.  She's as strong as the Hulk and just as stupid.  She falls in love with Liquid (to his absolute horror) and grows a beard.

Liquid may protest, but he actually likes being man-maid to
Papuwa, Rotaro, and Chappy

Liquid, Papuwa, Rotaro, and Chappy spend their days on Papuwa Island having adventures and getting on each others nerves.  Despite appearances, Liquid is actually fond of caring for the three and he protects them from those sent by the Ganma Army.  He strives to preserve the zany peace of the island and is a powerful warrior from his days in the Special Battle Unit.  The groups are trapped on the island and find a strange equilibrium with its inhabitants.  

Harlem, leader of the Special Battle Unit

Magic will not give up on finding Kotaro and eventually his older brother, Shintaro, returns to find him.  Shintaro is the most powerful member of the Ganma Army and lived on the first Papuwa Island.  Will Rotaro regain his memories of being Kotaro?  If Kotaro and Shintaro come in contact will they destroy the second Papuwa Island?  Why is it called Papuwa Island anyway?  How many transvestite and hermaphrodite creatures can possibly exist on one South Pacific island? 

Oshodani the drumming sea otter and Komoro the 'magic' mushroom

Pros: A couple decent jokes (mostly in the end when Shintaro and Magic show up on the island), Komoro is kind of funny because he's always tricking people and getting them high, this show is probably the inspiration for the television series Lost

Umako (pre-beard)

Cons: Severely homo-erotic nonsense, weak character designs + incredibly annoying characters, simple animation, no plot, only one girl in the entire show and she looks like a hairy man (with a beard), dub if fairly awful

Toshizo has a wardrobe malfunction to the delight of Tanno and Ito

Mike Tells It Straight: This series easily ranks in my top 10 worst anime of all time.  It failed on many levels, but I'll bash it in the next paragraph.  Let's talk about some of its good points.  The series is zany comedy and has a few good jokes in there.  The last few episodes were okay once Shintaro and Magic appear on the island.  They're both crazy like all the other characters, but offer a mildly sane perspective in comparison and it's a serious breath of fresh air (favorite Shintaro quote when he sees the she-male Umako "Man, that was gross. Maybe the most disturbing creature I've seen on the island").

Liquid is actually a fierce warrior!

The rest of the series was inane nonsense and dragged on endlessly.  All of the characters were effeminate, transvestites, hermaphrodites, she-males, or victims of bad jokes involving those characteristics.  Seems like Papuwa was the only truly male character who was not part of the non-stop gags.  This series was based on a manga sequel to the manga-turned-anime Nangoku Shonen Papuwa-kun by Ami Shibata.  The first anime series was 42 episodes long and it boggles my mind that a sequel would ever be produced.  WTF!?  The first series spawned two video games and it must have gained some sort of popularity.  I do not recommend this series in the slightest.

Shintaro arrives on Papuwa Island and kicks the crap out of Liquid

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Chrome Shelled Regios Anime Review

Chrome Shelled Regios
Kokaku no Regiosu
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
600 minutes - 24 episodes
$29.98 (2013) S.A.V.E.
$64.98 (2012)
$59.98 (2011) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400095542
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Itsuro Kawasaki
Studio - ZEXCS

Synopsis: In the far future the planet is an inhospitable wasteland - the air is toxic to breathe, the world is a desert, and giant insect-like creatures called Contaminoids roam the surface.  Humanity is forced to live in massive, migrating cities always trying to stay one step ahead of oblivion.  Different types of cities , also called Regios, exist - academic (research/schooling), trade/resource-building, and primary cities with large populations.  Resources are scarce and a loose set of rules exist for the times when cities encounter each other - if they are like-type cities they can battle and the winner appropriates resources from the loser.  The combatants are military artists living and training within the cities.  Each city is controlled by an Electrical Spirit, an electronic lifeform who guides the movements and functions of the city.

Two massive, roaming cities meet to have a battle

Military artists are able to produce a powerful energy called Kei which allows them to manifest a variety of offensive and defensive powers.  Each artist is equipped with a DITE to channel and amplify their use of Kei.   Some create fire, energy beams, thin micro-filament lines able to cut or cling, barriers, and specialists called Neni Operators who use telepathy across great distances (psychokinesis including moving objects).  These Kei users are the greatest defense against the Contaminoids and the most powerful, called "Heaven's Blades", reside in the proto-city Glendan.  They can battle massive Contaminoids alone or in concert.

A massive Contaminoid lands on the outer shell of a city

The DITEs used by military artists are transformable into different types of weapons - swords, guns, axes, maces, micro-filament generators, and almost anything the user can imagine.  Depending on the quality of the DITE the user's Kei can be amplified by many degrees. The DITE is activated by saying the word "Restoration".  The most powerful DITEs are used by the "Heaven's Blades" of Glendan and are the crowning achievement of the technology.  Only the most elite and powerful Kei users are able to earn the title of "Heaven's Blade".  It is quite an accomplishment and recognized among all cities.

Nina befriends the Electrical Spirit of Zuellni

In the academic city Zuellni a new year begins and a new batch of recruits enter training.  One in particular seems promising after intervening in a fight between two students.  His name is Layfon Alseif and his intent is to become a regular student.  Upon observation of his skills Nina Antalk, captain of the 17th Platoon, recruits Layfon into her group.  Zuellni has many platoons which compete against each other to become stronger and prepare for inter-city confrontations.

Felli takes an uncharacteristic interest in Layfon who is completely clueless

The 17th Platoon members are:

• Nina Antalk - Captain and strongest member of the platoon, she uses a pair of DITE which become modified batons, and she is incredibly driven.  She has an acquaintance with Zuellni's Electrical Spirit (named Zuellni, of course).  She wants to win at all costs and cannot tolerate weakness in herself. 
• Sharnid Elipton - A smooth operator with the ladies and as the team's sniper.  He appears to be laid back, but is equally driven to protect the city as Nina.  His DITE take the form of twin pistols and he practices a form of close-quarters martial gunfighting.  He is the oldest student in the platoon and has history.
• Felli Loss - She is a Neni Operator and the younger sister of the Zuellni's Student Council President, Kalian Loss.  Neni Operator's process massive amounts of information in order to wield their psychokinesis powers and the effort overrides many simple physical functions, like smiling.  She appears to have a bland and uncaring personality, but her Kei specialty saps her ability to express simple emotions.  She takes an instant liking to Layfon although her personality renders her incapable of showing him.  
• Layfon Alseif - The newest recruit and a true mystery.  He hails from Glendan and wished to avoid the military arts for his own reasons.  Despite his best efforts he is thrown into joining the 17th Platoon and participating in inter-platoon competitions.  He genuinely cares about his teammates and will do anything to help them.  His skills are incredible and on par with a "Heaven's Blade".  With the addition of Layfon the 17th Platoon quickly rises up the ranks to become the premier group in Zuellni.   
• Harley Sutton - He is the DITE engineer of the group and highly skilled at his craft.  When Layfon joins Harley works tirelessly to design a DITE able to channel the massive amounts of Kei that Layfon emits.  

Layfon unleashes his Kei powers during an inter-platoon match

If a city is destroyed, whether by Contaminoids or other disaster, then its Electrical Spirit becomes displaced and wanders almost like a ghost.  These spirits wish to find a new home and will latch onto Kei users who are intensely driven.  They are incredibly dangerous and can also interfere with other Electrical Spirits.  What is the origin of the Contaminoids, the Kei users, and "Heaven's Blades"?  In Glendan a girl named Leerin misses her childhood friend, Layfon.  What are the secrets of his past kept from the 17th Platoon and will they threaten to destroy Zuellni itself?

Nina recovers after overexerting herself training.  She feels inadequate
compared to Layfon's overwhelming power

Pros: Nice animation and computer effects, slick character designs, interactions between the characters were interesting - especially Felli (she was easily my favorite character) and Layfon, some neat powers, good sci-fi premise with the roaming cities, monsters were cool and the series didn't fall into the repetitive 'monster-of-the-week' cycle, a lot of intriguing questions

The 17th Platoon gets some R&R at the pool - Nina, Sharnid, Layfon,
Harley, and Felli.  Too bad Felli doesn't know how to swim!

Cons: Weak ending without any real plot resolutions, too many unanswered questions, the short scenes of either a movie or past events were confusing (again without any plot resolution), some of the characters were a bit weak/whiny, the Contaminoids didn't play as large of a role in the story (and weren't explained), no second season to continue the story, light novels/manga have not been released domestically

This guy's name is Dickserio. No, seriously! He only gets brief screen-time
and is never fully explained like many other sub-plots in the show

Mike Tells It Straight: I'm highly ambivalent towards Chrome Shelled Regios after watching it.  On one hand I liked the characters and story, but any enjoyment I got from the series has been overshadowed by a profound disappointment with the ending and current series status.  The ending was terrible and lacked any proper resolution to the story.  Instead we are given an ending worthy of a footnote in a grander story to be told at a later date.  This date is unknown at this time as the anime series has no second season or any hint of plans for one.  The series itself is based on a prolific set of light novels with a few [apparently] successful short manga spinoffs.

Felli is hilarious!  She's always getting mad and kicking things really
hard (usually Layfon's shins).  Poor refrigerator!

None of the printed material from the series has been released domestically and the anime essentially stands alone.  It's a shame because a lot of neat concepts and even more questions are presented in the series which are disappointingly left unanswered.  What are the Contaminoids?  How did the world become a desolate wasteland?  What is the origin of Electrical Spirits?  Where does Kei come from?  All of these questions arise from the series, but none of them are answered.

This guy stars in flashback/movie (it's unclear exactly what they are)
sequences which are interspersed among each episode

The saving grace of this series is the characters and their personal interactions.  Each character has their own history and drive to be the best.  It's fun to peel back the layers of their stories.  I particularly liked Felli as a character due to her outwardly cold attitude which was betrayed by her true personality and feelings for Layfon.  They were absolutely hilarious together!  She reminded me of Ruri in Martian Successor Nadesico (must be the white hair).

Something's up with Nina after she meets Leerin

I saw a lot of potential in this series and actually enjoyed it up until the last few episodes.  The confusing flashback/movie sequences were really distracting and truly serve no purpose in the series (unless they get explained in a subsequent season).  The Contaminoids reminded me of Blue Gender and it would have been great to get a history on them.  Apparently another dimension exists which has creatures like the Contaminoids?  I have no idea!  This series was amusing, but the lack of an ending was frustrating, especially without a second season to further elaborate the story or having a manga to turn to.

"Restoration!"

I could have lived without this goofy scene near the end.
What is this - Eureka Seven all of a sudden?

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Aquarion Anime Review

Aquarion
Genesis of Aquarion also Sousei no Aquarion
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
650 mins. - 26 episodes
$29.98 (2010) S.A.V.E.
$69.98 (2009)
$59.98 (2008) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400045790
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Shoji Kawamori
Studio - Satelight

Synopsis: 11 years ago a great catastrophe befell mankind as the Shadow Angels awakened from their 12,000-year slumber.  Before their sleep they ruled the planet from the city of Atlandia (the basis of the mythical lost city of Atlantis) and harvested humans for their life force, or prana.  Humans, called 'the wingless ones' by the Shadow Angels, were merely a source of sustenance and treated as livestock.  One of the Shadow Angels, called Apollonius, fell in love with a human woman, the warrior Celiane, and turned on his kind to free the humans from their oppressors.

Apollonius (red hair) falls in love with the human Celiane

The angel Toma loved Apollonius and was deeply betrayed by his rebellion.  He vows revenge and leads the Shadow Angels in a final harvest of humankind.  They attack cities using a harmonic song to entrance humans and collect them in massive harvest beasts to be deposited in the Shadow Angels' Tree of Life.  Their ultimate goal is to restart their species by feeding enough prana to the Tree.  Any resistance is crushed by cherubim soldiers, giant mecha with powerful weapons and abilities.

The angel Toma vows revenge for being rejected by Apollonius

Conventional weapons are meaningless against the Shadow Angels and their incredible tools.  Only the Division of Earth Vitalization Advancement (DEAVA) has any success putting up a fight.  Their commander, Gen Fudou, discovered an ancient technology created by Apollonius and Celiane which allows humans to pilot three incredible flying machines, called Vectors.  The machines combine to form the giant fighting robot Aquarion which amplifies the souls of it's pilots.

Reika pilots Vector Luna and coordinates with Sirius and Glen

Each of the Vectors are distinct and form a different version of Aquarion when a different one is at the head:

1. Vector Luna forms Aquarion Luna - green, quick and agile, forms bow and arrow for long-range attacks, favorite Vector of Silvia de Alisia
2. Vector Mars forms Aquarion Mars - blue, very fast, forms a sword, has long legs to perform kicks, favorite Vector of Sirius de Alisia and Pierre Vieira
3. Vector Sol forms Solar Aquarion - red, the true form of Aquarion, a perfect balance of the three Vectors, can manifest "Solar Wings" on its back, mostly used for fighting attacks, 

Solar Aquarion battles a cherubim soldier

Only special individuals called Elements are able to pilot the Vectors.  The pilots' souls make up the final component to form Aquarion and the three must be in harmonic unison for a successful "merge".  The merge infuses the Elements and Vectors with immense power to fuel Aquarion.  Each Element feels the power boost as a euphoric (almost orgasmic) release.

The base for Aquarion complete with ancient ruins and a barrier field

The Elements are all teenagers from around the world who are trained to become pilots in the secret DEAVA base:

• Apollo is a street urchin discovered by DEAVA Elements Silvia and Pierre during a harvest by the Shadow Angels.  Apollo lived with a ragtag bunch of orphans who acted like a family before being entranced and abducted by a harvest beast.  He vows revenge and exhibits uncanny piloting abilities without any training to pilot Vector Sol.  He can even trigger the merge to Solar Aquarion.  It's thought Apollo is the reincarnated Apollonius.  His sense of smell is heightened and he seems almost feral at times.  
• Silvia de Alisia is the capricious daughter of a noble family and looks up to her brother Sirius.  She has the power of psychokinesis and is a skilled Vector pilot.  It's thought she is the reincarnation of Celiane and therefore will be in love with the reincarnation of Apollonius, but despises Apollo's low upbringing and crude manners.  
• Sirius de Alisia is the elder brother of Silvia and last heir of the noble Alisia family.  He is the epitome of refinement and culture.  An expert swordsman and the most skilled Vector pilot, Sirius appreciates elegance and immensely dislikes Apollo's constant sniffing.  Sirius is thought to be the reincarnation of Apollonius until Apollo shows up.  Sirius remains detached from the other Elements and eats all of his meals alone.  
• Pierre Vieira is a young soccer player from San Jose, Chile.  His entire soccer team was harvested and he hates the Shadow Angels.  He's one of the top Vector pilots, an insatiable ladies' man, and specializes in powerful kick attacks.  Despite being hot-blooded he displays surprising maturity when giving his friends advice.
• Reika Ko has incredibly bad luck and strong psychic abilities.  Despite her penchant for misfortune she is a top Vector pilot and one of the few people Sirius considers a friend.  
• Glen Anderson is friends with both Reika and Sirius.  He's a top Vector pilot as well, but suffers a grave injury during the mission when Apollo is discovered.    
• Jun Lee is a science nerd and otaku.  He is an unparalleled inventor and has the ability to sense how things work around him.  Although not very skilled at physical combat maneuvers he has a strong will and never gives up.  He is one of the rookie Elements new to the DEAVA team
• Tsugumi Rosenmeier is timid and another rookie Element along with Jun.  She loves old mechanics and Jun instantly finds an interest in her.  She passionately idolizes Reika and has a secret power which haunts her.  She is short with a surprisingly large and well-hidden bust.  
• Kurt and Chloe Klick are fraternal twins with a telepathic link.  They are ideal background support members, but also good Vector pilots.  Chloe is a target for Pierre's advances (she's a girl and breathing after all)
• Rena Rune is a mysterious, wheelchair-bound, and blind girl who apparently can read the auras of people.  She exhibits strange powers and a proclivity for drinking blood.  Combined with her pale complexion it is hinted she may be vampiric in nature.

The different forms and components of Aquarion - from top left and
clockwise Aquarion Mars, Solar Aquarion, Aquarion Luna, Vector
Luna, Vector Sol, and Vector Mars 

DEAVA and the Elements are challenged by the angel Toma with each successive battle posing a newly designed threat.  Commander Fudou acts as sage and mentor to the team giving them special training lessons to prepare for each new test.  Events are building to a crescendo which will determine the fate of the entire human race.  Can the stubborn Elements unify and energize Aquarion to save the day?

Apollo is thought to be the reincarnated Apollonius

Pros: Yoko Kanno does the soundtrack (Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop), some good theme songs (particularly 2nd opening theme "Go Tight" and ending theme "Omna Magni"), Shoji Kawamori directs (Super-Dimensional Fortress Macross, Macross Plus), great visuals - mecha designs for the combining elements of Aquarion, character designs, backgrounds, Apollo reminded me of a young Wolverine from the X-Men (especially the constant sniffing), couple good plot twists at the end, doesn't take itself too seriously

Silvia experiences a particularly good 'merge'

Cons: Shadow Angels are bland villains, Cherubim Soldier mecha designs are boring, too many training episodes, story drags on for 3/4 of the series until the final few episodes, felt like a mash-up of a bunch of different shows (Evangelion, Rahxephon, Getter Robo), a lot of goofy episodes

Silvia, Apollo, and Sirius get fired up fighting the Shadow Angels

Mike Tells It Straight: Aquarion felt like a mash-up compilation of many different mecha shows.  It contains every stereotypical character and plot element of the giant robot genre.  Giant mecha piloted by angsty, young adults must save the human race from an evil alien force.  The rascally underdog hero Apollo, ice princess Silvia who is too good for everyone, pompous noble Sirius, and cryptic sage Fudou were all pretty standard.

Toma plots another attack with fellow angel Otoha

The combiner robot aspect with the Vectors creating different Aquarions was pretty cool.  All of the computer graphic elements of the mecha battles were top notch.  Kawamori is a master of mecha (having been involved with both Macross Plus and Escaflowne) and the Aquarion robot is impressively complicated.

Solar Aquarion gets ready to throw down!

The visuals and music were great, but I felt like this show fell a bit flat.  The heroes and villains weren't really bad ass enough at any point.  It had too many goofy training episodes.  I think they were meant to help us get attached to the characters, but felt formulaic and monster-of-the-week.  The theological angle with the angels has been done before in both Evangelion and Rahxephon.  Aquarion didn't bring anything new here except maybe Kawamori's environmental comment at the end with the Tree of Life.

Silvia, Apollo, and Sirius merge

Speaking of the ending, it felt rushed and I didn't really mind seeing a few characters bite the dust.  Guess it was a bit of redemption for some.  I get it Kawamori, you're making a homage to all the great vintage combiner mecha shows of the past, but not taking it too seriously because they were all a bit ridiculous after all.  Nice touch with the orgasmic merging and gimmick moves.  I can give Aquarion a fair recommendation for being a slick-looking mecha show with nice music.

Solar Aquarion powers up

The story was kind of a let-down with delusions of grandeur and mediocre pacing.  I expected more from it and usually really enjoy this type of show (giant robots smashing things and all).  A quasi-sequel was released called Aquarion Evol which stars a whole new cast of characters and some reincarnated versions of old ones.  It focuses more on comedy and fan-service, but answers some questions left by the first series.

Solar Aquarion manifests 'Solar Wings'

TO BUY and Recommendations: